By the time Antonia walked into the apartment, it was nearly 7pm. She could smell dinner cooking, and knew that her sister would be there any minute, but Aiden was nowhere to be seen. She set her bags down beside the closet, and walked cautiously inside. "Aiden?" She called, noticing that there were several bags beside the couch, an open coloring book, and crayons, and a juice box. "Aiden?" She called, feeling a little nervous.
"Hey." He said, walking out of the second bedroom, a pair of feet following behind him as a little blonde head appeared, with bright blue eyes on the person that just came through the door. "She wanted to put her new sheets on her new bed." He said, watching as Antonia beckoned the little girl, who moved quickly and connected herself to Antonia's leg, squeezing it tightly, her stuffed bunny tight in her grasp as well.
"New bed? I was at the lab for two hours." Antonia said, glancing over at the bags again.
"Okay, it's an air mattress until I have time to go shopping, but she likes it." Aiden said.
"And what's all of this stuff here?" She asked, watching as Melody ran toward her coloring book and grabbed it, showing it off to Antonia as she sat down on the couch.
"She needed entertainment, bathroom things, and you know, little girl things." He shrugged, moving toward the kitchen, he checked on the oven. "When were Grace and Jack getting here?"
"She'll be here in about fifteen minutes." Antonia said, smiling at the picture that Melody was showing her. "Pretty." She said. "Are you hungry?" She asked, and the little girl nodded and looked to Aiden.
"Bean is making dinner." She said, watching as Aiden smiled at her, she turned shyly and brought her coloring book back to the coffee table, where she settled with her bunny and continued to color.
Antonia stood up and walked around the counter, watching as Aiden pushed back against the counter, waiting for her as she pressed herself up against him. "Hey there, beautiful." He said, wrapping his arms around her as she kissed him.
"I bet you say that to all of the girls." She teased, scrunching her nose playfully.
"Only the beautiful ones." He said, laughing as she pushed against him and tickled him. "I mean only you! Only you!" He laughed, trying to get away from her, as she stopped tickling and laughed, feeling her push her body into him, she smiled into his eyes. "I love you, evil woman."
"I love you." She said, as her phone began to buzz in her pocket. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the caller ID. "I have to take this, it's Mom." She mumbled as she moved away from him and lifted her phone to her ear. "Hey, Mom."
"How is the case going?" Temperance asked, greetings falling to the wayside as Antonia rolled her eyes toward Aiden.
"I'm doing great, Mom, how are you and Dad?"
"Antonia." Temperance's voice was filled with tension. "Your father and I will be home tomorrow."
"What?" Antonia asked, her voice high and concerned, her eyes flashed to Aiden, who stood straighter as he watched her talk to her mother. "Why are you coming home tomorrow?"
"The lecture tour is complete, and while your father and I have been enjoying our time away, we think it would be beneficial for us to get back to our lives at home." Temperance said, her voice still holding the tension that Antonia couldn't help but hear.
"Have you spoken with Ace?" She asked, her feet carrying her across the floor as she began to pace.
"I did speak with Christopher briefly this afternoon. He's kept me updated on the case." Temperance said. "Were you able to find placement for the child?" She asked, listening softly for her daughter's reply, the tension seemed to be lessening as she spoke. It was clear that Harding had not spoken of the situation with Melody.
"Yes." Antonia said, refusing to elaborate.
"And Aiden has arrived from his trip to Chicago." Temperance asked.
"Yes." She rolled her eyes, and sighed softly. "We're moving in together." Antonia said, looking to Aiden, his eyebrow lifted and a grin appeared on his face. "Mom?" She said as she waited for her mother's response, and Aiden's brow furrowed at her concern.
"Our flight should arrive around noon tomorrow." Temperance said, "We will most likely go directly to the lab."
"Mom?" Antonia said, sighing softly.
"Yes?" Temperance asked, listening for her daughter's response, the tension was back in her voice.
"May I please speak to Dad?"
"Your father is sleeping." Temperance said.
Antonia could hear the low rumble of her father's voice in the background, and she sighed. "Mom, I should go. Grace and Jack will be here for dinner soon. Goodnight. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."
"I look forward to seeing you as well. I love you." Temperance said. The line went dead and Antonia closed her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths.
"So, she's not pleased with the new arrangement?" Aiden asked, walking toward Antonia, he took the phone from her hand before she crushed it in her palm or threw it across the room.
"I don't know. I don't know what she's thinking, or feeling, or… My mother is infuriating! I've never met a woman who could be so absolutely kind one second, and then can just turn completely closed off, like a switch."
"Nope, I don't know anyone like that." Aiden teased, setting her phone on the counter.
"You, are not funny." She said, pointing her finger into his chest, he pulled her closer to him and she rested her forehead on his.
"I also noticed that there were a couple other facts that you left out of the conversation." Aiden teased, listening to her growl slightly.
"I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of taking something that I feel was necessary and right, and turning it into something negative." She sighed. "She'll be here tomorrow anyway, she can learn all of the details then. I have to change." Antonia said, turning sharply she headed toward the bedroom. "Grace is here." She said, as suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"How did you do that?" Aiden called, listening to her laughter from the bedroom as he walked over to the door to answer it. He glanced to Melody, who looked slightly alarmed at Aiden moving toward the door, to which he signed 'Grace' to her, and she nodded and returned to coloring. He stepped to the door and opened it, smiling as he saw Grace's smile. "Hey, guys." Aiden said, opening the door wider, he accepted Grace's hug and shook Jack's hand and they walked in.
"Did she just get home from…"Grace said as she noticed Melody coloring at the table, her eyes on the page. "I don't know why I didn't expect to see her here." Grace laughed. I am so not surprised."
"I take it she didn't tell you on the phone earlier." Aiden said, watching as Grace shook her head.
"I told you, she doesn't offer up information." Grace said, crouching down to the table in front of Melody.
"Is this Melody?" Jack asked, watching as the little girl looked up and saw Grace, a smile on her face until she spied the man behind her. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed tightly onto her bunny.
"Melody?" Grace said, indicating Jack as he crouched beside Grace, the little girl watched Grace warily. "Melody, this is my friend Jack." She signed.
JV waved to her, and signed a greeting, to which he looked up at Aiden's raised eyebrow. "I only know a little."
"Enough to survive with the Booth girls?" Aiden asked.
"Exactly." Jack laughed.
"Who is surviving the Booth girls?" Antonia asked as she walked into the room from the hallway, smiling as everyone looked up from where they were hanging around near Melody.
"Nobody." Grace grinned as she stood up and gave her sister a quick hug. "How is she doing?"
"She seems to be acclimating quite well." Antonia said, watching as Jack sat on the floor across from Melody. The little girl watched him warily for a moment and then offered him a crayon.
"Well, looks like Jack is in his element." Grace laughed as he threw her a scowl. "So what's the situation?" Grace asked, watching Antonia's eyes as they settled on the little girl, she looked up at her sister.
"She was a foster child, orphan. She had only been in the house a couple of days." Antonia explained, her eyes following Aiden as he walked around her and dropped a kiss on her cheek as he stepped to the oven and looked at dinner again.
"It makes sense, why there weren't any photos, or sign of her." Grace said, watching Melody giggle as Jack tried to take the crayon out of her hand.
"The group home that she was staying at is full, and instead of having her just dropped at an orphanage, I thought that she'd be safer here. She was so lucky to find the Cameron's. Someone who was willing to take her in, who was embracing her communication challenges." Antonia said softly.
"She's lucky to have you." Aiden said, kissing her cheek again as he walked up behind her with plates for the table. "Both of you, actually." He said with a smile.
"I take it you didn't tell Mom or Dad." Grace said, eying her sister as she turned around, watching as Aiden set the table.
Antonia shook her head. "Uh, no. You know Mom would have called you the second she knew. She told you not to let me get attached. Ace knows. Ace pretty much knows everything that's been going on, so at least it's not all one big secret. He said he'll deal with Mom. Aiden's off this week, and we have the space."
"Not that she takes up much space." Grace said as she watched Melody look up at them.
"Mom and Dad will be home tomorrow." Antonia said, sighing as she picked at her fingernails. "I think Mom thinks I'm going to mess up this case."
"She's just very possessive about the lab, you know that." Grace said. "I'm on your side on this one, on the Melody thing."
"What about the whole engagement and moving in thing?" Antonia asked, giving her sister a slight cringe as she turned quickly and headed for the table.
"Alright, dinner is served." Aiden said abruptly, pulling the casserole from the oven, he carried it toward the table to set it down.
"Wait, what?" Grace said, glancing between Aiden and Antonia.
"I said dinner is served." Aiden repeated a little louder, shaking his head as if he hadn't heard the rest of the conversation.
Jack looked across at Melody and pantomimed eating sloppily to Melody and rubbed his belly making a face. Melody laughed at him and shook her head. "What he doesn't know in sign language, he makes up for in Goof language." Antonia said, as she watched Melody turn her head to look at her. "Dinner." She signed, as she smiled, and the little girl grabbed her bunny and made her way toward the dining room table, but not before grabbing Jack's arm and pretending to drag him along with her.
Antonia sat in her seat and started to put food on Melody's plate, smiling as she tried to ignore her sister's look of shock as she remained standing next to the counter as everyone else sat down to eat.